CHINA, NATIONAL, FEATURES: Turning Full Cycle

By Song Mo and Wen Chihua(China Daily)

Standing atop a stool clamped to a bicycle rack in her long white wedding gown, the giggling bride clasped her bouquet of white roses as her new husband pedalled frantically down Huayuan Road in Haidian District to the reception restaurant. "This is the way we like it. I will never regret this," Fan Xiaoping told The Beijing News.

"It's really romantic to have our wedding ceremony this way," said bridegroom Jiang Yang, a doctoral student at Peking University.

Their story appeared to mark something more significant than a wedding announcement: the beginning of a mini-backlash against the motor vehicle in the Beijing print and online media along with events, such as the "Driving One Less Day a Month for a Blue Sky in Beijing" activity held on World Environment Day on June 5.

Recognizing that alongside Mexico City, Beijing shares the distinction of being the world's most polluted capital, more than 200,000 Beijing drivers pledged to use public transport, ride a bike or walk to work on that day. "It tells us that many people still reserve a special place for the bicycle in their heart, regardless of there being so many cars on the road," said a civil servant from the Shenzhen Intellectual Property Bureau.

"I ride a bike to work almost every day, and only drive to the suburbs for the weekend," said Wang Yan.

There are about 500 million bicycles on the Chinese mainland, according to the Beijing-based China Bicycle Association.

"It's time for us to rethink or rediscover what the bicycle can bring us," said association president Wang Fenghe.

Sooner rather than later, "government and people alike, including those car owners, will realize how convenient, healthy and environmentally-friendly riding a bicycle is," said Wang Yan.

Memory lane

"It's often said that Americans were brought up on the rear seats of cars. It's no exaggeration to say we Chinese were brought up on the rear seats of bicycles," said Shen Zhong, an accountant with a TV company in Beijing.

"You used to have to obtain a coupon to buy a bike, regardless of whether or not you had the money," said the 52-year-old.

Every year, each work unit was provided with a few coupons. Normally, Shen says, "one out of 100 employees had a chance to get one coupon."

In the 1970s, a worker's monthly salary could be about 30 yuan (US$3.70). Not until 1973 did Shen get her first bike.

"It was second hand, but it still cost me 100 yuan (US$12). My father asked his friend to fix the rattling for me. For that, my mother even cooked meat for him, which we could only eat during Spring Festival," said Shen, with a big smile. "My bicycle was like a family member. Life was difficult back then, so that happiness seemed much more precious than that of today."

Thus the bicycle was once an important status symbol. Shen remembers that when couples planned to marry, one of the prerequisites was the "san zhuan yi xiang" three rounds and one sound a bicycle, a sewing machine, a wrist watch and a radio.

It was a bicycle that brought Lu Yuling and her husband together.

"We lived far apart," said the retired high school teacher from Chengdu in Southwest China. "It wasn't so easy to get together. He had a bike. Therefore, almost every evening, he rode all the way across the city to see me.

"Instead of coming into my house, he used to sit on his bike and play a Russian love song on his harmonica. That was our secret signal. On hearing his harmonica, I'd dash out and then we'd ride out to the city park."

Her engagement gift? "Striking, and sexy. All my girl friends were so envious of me. "

A fire-engine red bicycle of course. "The bicycle was a key part of my romance and my life," said 55-year-old Lu. "I really miss the days when the city was like a huge neighbourhood, where car drivers respected cyclists and cyclists respected pedestrians."

Return of the king

Every 100 Chinese urban families had 162.7 bicycles in 2000, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. That figure dropped to 120 in 2005. Urban sprawl appears to be one reason.

"People's freedom of movement expands after relocation," said Peking University student Cai Zixuan, 21, whose family bought a car three years ago after moving to the West Fifth Ring Road from downtown Beijing.

"It's so inconvenient to go downtown without a car. Both my parents and I have driving licences so we can make full use of the car. None of us ever rides a bike anymore."

It seems that for a certain kind of affluent urban elite, the car has replaced the bicycle as the key status symbol, while the bicycle has now become its poor cousin, even a symbol of poverty.

"This way of thinking hinders the development of the bicycle. One's use of a bicycle shouldn't be taken as an indicator of one's financial status," said Wang Fenghe.

Wang feels the media overemphasize the glamour of the automobile at the expense of the bicycle's obvious advantages: Keeping fit, safety, easy to use, zero pollution, energy-saving, cost-effectiveness and size.

"These are the secrets of why the bicycle has lasted ever since its invention," said Wang.

Yang Shan, 36, sells 10 bikes a day at Beijing Cuiwei Shopping Mall. The price varies from 200 to 3,000 yuan (US$25-375).

"Most people buy the cheapest ones, because bicycles are stolen very often," said Yang as he assembles the new arrivals.

Apart from the classic Chinese brands like Forever and Phoenix, electric bicycles and portable folding bicycles are becoming increasingly popular.

Although the bulk of his customers are high-school students, Yang noticed more drivers are now buying bicycles.

Wang Xiaohui came to try out an electric bicycle. "I want to buy an electric bicycle to deliver and pick up my son from school. It's less of a headache and quicker," said the 34-year-old. "It takes only 10 minutes by electric bicycle."

It's a half-hour drive in the Beijing traffic, she says.

Other drivers are sticking folding bicycles alongside the spare tire in their car trunk, Wang said.

"They say when there's a traffic jam, they just park the car and get on their bikes."

The article has been published in China Daily on September 28th

CHINA, NATIONAL, FEATURES: Driving Ambition

By Song Mo and Wen Chihua

The automobile is fast becoming much more than just a mode of transport for modern Chinese youth and the numbers are staggering.

There was a 15-per cent sales surge last year in the world's second-largest motor-vehicle market, with 5.9 million new cars sold to happy new drivers.

The reasons for buying a car are personal rather than practical. "Getting a driving license is a must for my generation, just like getting a computer," says Shen Xi, a student at the Communication University of China in Beijing. "It's a part of you, suggesting who you are and how you're doing in this ruthless modern society."

The 19-year-old obtained his driving license at 18, the legal driving age in China.

"Nowadays, to a young urbanite, not knowing how to drive is like saying you don't know how to ride a bike. Most of my classmates have driving licences ready for a car soon after we graduate and land a job."

The cost of a driving licence ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 yuan (US$375-625) and includes compulsory lessons at a certified driving school. There are 102 driving schools in Beijing.

Laoshan Driving School issued licenses to 2,780 young people in the capital in the first half of this year, according to the school's director Qin Junan. Back in 1992, 300 students received their licences, he said. In 2004, it was 6,000 students and by 2005, 7,000.

Things have changed since the 1980s, when only professional drivers were entitled to cars.

Hou Jiayi, a chauffeur for a government agency, recalled: "Back then, I worked in a motor plant. As drivers were badly needed, 10 workers, including me, were chosen to learn to drive from experienced drivers."

Before being allowed to drive by himself, Hou followed his teacher driving around the city for a whole year. "One experienced driver instructed one apprentice," Hou said. "We called them 'master' instead of 'teacher' because they taught us not only how to be a driver, but also how to be a sensible and responsible driver."

New lifestyle

For Hou and his contemporaries, driving was a prestigious profession. For 20-somethings, driving is an expression of status and individual freedom.

"My quality of life has improved since I got a Honda Accord two years ago," says a 28-year-old man, who asked not to be named for this article. "My fiance and I often go to the Maple Park Drive-in-Cinema, where you can enjoy movies in your car, like a box at a conventional theatre comfy and prestigious."

With four large screens, the drive-in theatre accommodates more than 500 vehicles. Each day, there are about 100 cars. "Most of them are young lovers," says cinema manager Gu Haiqiong. "Our drive-in really caters to their need for a cozy and private environment."

Others like to travel by car during their holidays. Wang Min, a businessman in his 40s, once drove 3,436 kilometres from Chengdu of Southwest China's Sichuan Province to Harbin of Heilongjiang in the Northeast.

"Sitting behind the wheel, your body, your spirit feels like they're flying, and you have control of everything except the toll fee. That's a little steep."

Wang said it cost him about 600 yuan (US$75) to travel from Beijing to Weihai, a tourist resort 967 kilometres southeast of the capital.

A must for marriage?

While cars began to become a part of life for many common Chinese into 1990s, a ride inside a luxury car at his or her wedding ceremony when the Chinese bridgegroom traditionally collected the bride from her family home for the ceremony has become a trend and been getting more popular, according to wedding planners.

"People believe that it is the most important day in one's life, so they want to make it as luxurious as they can," says Qi Xin, 33, manager of Xi Jiaojiao wedding company in Beijing.

Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz and Audi A6 are the top flavours for the day. A Lincoln costs about 5,000-8,000 yuan (US$625-1,000) a day, and a motorcade with 10 cars costs at least 10,000 yuan (US$1,250).

For some women, their husband-to-be must have a car. "A car proves a man's success in his career, suggesting he has gained some economic power. I don't want to have a fight with my husband over money, " says Wang Sichen, a 24-year-old Beijing white-collar worker.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the watch symbolized the height of luxury to many urban Chinese, sometimes costing a whole year's salary. Those who finally bought one would often push up their sleeves from time to time, hoping others would take notice.

Watches these days are no longer flaunted, and now it seems everybody is reaching for the steering wheel.

"The car is like yesterday's watch. More and more people buy cars not to simply show off, but to improve their quality of life," says Shen Zhong, a 52-year-old Beijing accountant.

Children of the next generation are already becoming indoctrinated into the new China car culture.

Li Yiding, 6, has pretty much grown up with a car. "I tell Mom to fasten seatbelt when she drives. I can help her watch the road conditions. I can identify many cars BMW, Benz, QQ and Renault, " says the boy.

The article has been published in China Daily on September 2nd.

CHINA, NATIONAL,NEWS: New York Times coverage of Shanghai History Textbook Revision Retorted

by Li Mu

Su Zhiliang, chief editor of the new standard history textbook in Shanghai, told the press last Thursday that New York Times has failed to cover changes of made in the new history book without biased distortion, and the public censure following the translation of the report in state media is unfounded.

He said to Southern Weekly, a major newspaper, that the September 1 cover story of New York Times, Where's Mao? Chinese Revise History Books, was irresponsible in reporting that important parts of Chinese history concerning Marxism and Socialism as well as massive struggles are reduced in the new textbooks at the approval of authorities. He also denied the assertion that the new history books will be used in nationwide history courses.

The general history of china and world including foreign invasions and revolutions in China has been covered in history book of junior high, he explained. The changes in Shanghai's high school history book was made to meet the requirement for eliminating repetition in the new national standard for history education.

"Conventional high school history education is like combining the study of "1+2=?" and "1+1=?", after learning them separately in previous lessons." Su said. In nationwide high schools, conventional history education reviews the same set global and domestic events covered in junior high schools, likely to result in a lack of student interest in learning what have been learned.

Student in Shanghai now learns about Mao Zedong in their first year in junior high and revision for college entrance examination at the senior year in high school. The junior high history book still acknowledges Mao's chief achievements and contributions to Chinese revolution, without leaving out Mao's "erroneous decisions" as the causes of the great leap forward campaign and culture revolution, which have brought social and economic havoc to China during 50s and 60s.

"Mao Zedong is a must-learn historic figure, but there is no necessity for every text book used in every level to cover the same thing. Even in the recent history books used nationwide, Mao Zedong does not appear in every volume." Su noted. He claimed that teachers have counted at least a hundred and twenty references to Mao Zedong in the new history textbooks.

Other important parts of Chinese history, such as the first emperor unifying China, Qing Shihuang, who ordered a campaign to burn books and kill scholars and large-scale peasant insurgences, have also remained in history books.

"These facts disappear from high school text because they are taught in the junior high." Su said, in response to the reported elimination of struggles in the history books, "There is no necessity to cover all of the peasant insurgences that streamed through the Chinese history. Some notable ones, such as the uprising against Qin dynasty and Qing dynasty, as well as the boxer rebellion have been detailed."

Following the translation of the New York Times report, criticisms of the textbook spread over newspapers and websites, albeit a few supportive voices. Spice-adding headlines such as "Bill Gates has replaced Mao in new Shanghai history text", "Shanghai textbook change: reflection of political overhaul" filled reports and posts carried on internet, which, according to su, "did little justice to the textbooks." He called on the public to review the textbooks before judging the changes made in the textbooks.

The new history books focus on evolutions of human civilization as well as development of social and culture institutions, featuring updated information including globalization and international trade, which is believed to be helpful in the real world. “Our new focus on history of civilization is founded on Marxist view of history, covering materialistic, social, political and spiritual aspects of civilizations.” He explained.

Ding, a Shanghai student who has been taught in conventional history textbook, says the new books add, instead of delete, materials for history lessons. "There are no fundamental changes in terms of the layout of historical facts. These books are more informative and lay less emphasis on student's memorization of facts."

"The most important question now is: have all the criticisms come from those who have read our text books? The distortions of fact in irresponsible reports and translations can render a biased view of what we have changed here." Su said.